#Shabbathanukkah#devartorah Perseverance is the key to success

When a husband built a covered porch on the front of his house, he anticipated that someday a bird might try to build a nest there. So he built the top of the corner post on a slant. Later the husband and wife laughed smugly when we saw robins trying their best to claim squatting rights to a new home. Piles of grass on the porch revealed their wasted efforts. But after 2 days of steady rain, they saw that a nest had indeed appeared in the very spot they thought was impossible. Because of the rain, Mrs. Robin was able to mix up a batch of mud mortar. Weaving it with twigs and grass, this determined feathered friend had built herself a new nest. She had persevered.

Hanukkah teaches us the importance of persistence. The fight against the Syrian Greeks was not easy. That is why we are so grateful. We thank God who, “delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and arrogant into the hands of those who were engaged in the study of Torah.” (The special Hanukkah prayer added to every Amidah for eight days). Nevertheless, the liberation of the Temple did not end the war. The war against the Syrian Greeks continued for several more years before all of Jerusalem was free. Hanukkah teaches us that when we depend on God to help us through our difficulties, we are empowered to keep going even when we can’t always see the immediate resolution of our problems.

Trying to live a proud Jewish life while experiencing hardship can leave you frustrated and discouraged. Especially after shooting at the Bondi Beach in Australia and the shooting at Brown University of a Jewish professor’s final exam review class, we are very aware of the growing anti-Semitism in the United States and around the world. You might feel powerless as well. So as you meditate on every lit candle of the Hanukiyah, the eight branch Hanukkah candelabra, let this holiday encourage you never to give up and never lose hope. Perseverance is inspiring!